Second chance gone
by BODYSONALWAYS
Summary: Rachel finds out that the people she had thought were her friends weren't, but before the can apologize tragedy strikes.


It had been three weeks since the William McKinley High School Glee Club brought home the National Championship. This sent shock waves through the school, and finally elevated the Gleeks above social pariah status. There hadn't been a single slushie thrown at a Glee Clubber since they had won. Apparently winning a Championship made them worthy of non-loser status, because that is all the students really cared about. Winning. So when Mr. Figgins asked the Glee club to perform at the M.A.D.D assembly (Mothers against Drunk Driving) Mr. Shue quickly agreed. He hoped that now with a Championship under their belt, more students would join without fear of damage to reputations, and make his dream of a nationally recognized winning legacy a reality.

They were all gathered except Puck, because he had to take his sister to doctor's appointment, in the choir room debating on possible songs to sing at the upcoming assembly. In true Rachel fashion she was making rapid-fire suggestions undeterred that each one were shot down by her fellow clubbers just as fast. "God, Man-hands, Shut up! Let someone else suggest something!" Rachel stopped at mid sentence and just stared at Quinn. Shock, and hurt swam across the diva's face, for it had been a very long time since anyone (within Glee) had called her that. Hearing that horrid nickname once more coming for the recently re-made Cherrio rocked Rachel more than she was willing to let them see. She morphed her features into righteous indigent. "I was merely trying to help." Then stormed out in classic Rachel-Berry style. The room was silent for a moment not quite believing what had happened. It was almost like a flashback to sophomore year. Quinn's groan soon filled the silence.

"God, I thought she would never shut up!" Quinn leaned farther into Finn's chest smirking. It had felt good to know that she still had the ability to get under the future Broadway star's skin. "I know right. I had hoped that once Nationals were over this year, she wouldn't try to hog the spotlight, and boss everyone around. At least now we don't have to pretend to be her friends." Santana's voice cheerfully added while linking pinkies with her spacing out girlfriend. Several voice chimed in their agreement to the sentiment. "White girl better step aside, because I WILL be getting my fair share of Solo's before we graduate." Mercedes crossed her arms almost glaring at Mr. Shue daring him to contradict her. The Glee coach however just sat in his chair not say anything to stop the comments made of the Glee star. "Man-hands needs to realize a lot of things." Quinn said with a laugh. "Yea, like her hands aren't the only thing manly." This caused more laughter, however all noise stopped at the sound of a gasp. All eyes snapped to the doorway where the one and only Rachel Berry was standing with a betrayed look on her face. She didn't say a word as she walked slowly to where her bag was sitting after she had forgotten it in her storm out. No one said anything. She was almost to the door when she turned around and faced the club. All the memories that she had made over the past three years with them flashed across her mind. She had always known that in the beginning they weren't friends, and many of the club couldn't stand her, but she always believed that over the course of the past years that they had become friends. She was wrong. It had all been a lie. She watched as Mr. Shue opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off. She didn't want to hear it, any of it. She didn't want to be lied to anymore. With a breaking heart she stared at what she had once thought were her friends.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but as you said Nationals are over. You don't need me anymore." Tears were making tracks down her face but she didn't seem to notice. "I won't force my company upon you any longer. I quit." They watched as she walked calmly away. No drama. No storming, just a simple quiet walkaway. It was in that moment they each of them truly realized that someone along the way, Rachel Berry had come to mean something to each of them, and that they might have pushed her to far this time. Kurt's eyes suddenly went large before groaning. "Puck is going to be pissed." they each sighed knowing that tomorrow was not going to be fun.

Puck had shocked everyone when he didn't come into the before school Glee practice looking as if he were ready to tear off somebody's head. Instead his posture screamed disappointment, in them. That was worse. They could take his anger. They expected his anger, but not this quiet disappointment. "I thought we had come further than this. I thought this was the one place at this god-forsaken school where we didn't judge each other, that we were there for one another. After everything my girl had done for each and every one of you. Every time you needed a friend, someone to push you, help you, guide you. Every time you had no one else to turn to, and everyone else had turned their backs on you, She was there. Ready to help in anyway she could. This is how you repay her. This is how you show her that she does have friends here. That you weren't just using her to win. I held her last night, and as she cried I wanted to tear each of your heads off, she told me it wasn't worth it. Not anymore. She was right. You aren't worth it. I quit too." With that Noah Puckerman turned around and walked away from the people he had once considered friends, not once looking back. The Glee Clubbers sat there in silence, each of them thinking lost in the wave of disappointment in themselves. They had stepped over a line, and none knew where they should go from there. They knew they needed to apologize, but how, and would it be enough this time.

Every time over the next few days that one of them would stumble across Rachel, she was wrapped protectively in Puck's embrace smiling at the world. If she or Puck caught sight of one of the former teammates frowns would instantly replace the smiles before they would quickly change routes to their destinations. Some hurts were too hard to get over, and sometimes a person just had to move on from the people that caused them pain. Rachel had finally understood that and was doing her best to heal from her torment that her once friends had inflicted on her. Puck made it easier knowing that he would always be standing there for all the future had to hold for them.

Three days later changed the lives of William McKinley forever. The news of what had happened between the Glee Club and Rachel had spread like wildfire throughout the student body. For a long time the Glee Club had represented that people from different social statuses could work together, and even be friends. This gave hope to those on the lower rungs of the social pole that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. That one day they too will have friends. That image shattered when they heard about the parting of Rachel and the Glee Club, for everyone knew how much the young Future Diva loved the sometimes annoying club. Jacob Ben Israel was one of these shattered souls. He had lived his whole life from behind a camera lens, hoping that one day he could interact without the camera. That he wouldn't be picked on every time the red light went off. It was a pipe dream that had become unattainable thanks to Rachel Barbara Berry.

It all happened so fast. The classes had just let out sending students scrambling from one class to another. Puck and Rachel were walking down the hallway completely obvious to everything around them. Rachel was smiling up at Puck as he wrapped his arm around her petite shoulder. Someone yelled her name. It wasn't the shout or even the voice that caused her to take notice. It was the heartbreak and malice in the voice. "You took away my hope." The voice yelled, and before anyone could move or figure out what exactly was happening the owner of the voice, Jacob Ben Israel, pulled out a gun shot Rachel twice before turning the gun on himself. It was over before anyone understood that it had begun. Within moments two lives were gone. The hallway was silent except for Pucks screams and pleads for Rachel to wake up and not leave him. He held her in his arms until the paramedics had to forcibly remove her from his grip. Rachel Barbara Berry, the future Broadway star, was gone before she had even really lived. The apologies that she would never hear burned in the souls of her former teammates, and teachers. Those that taunted her regretted their actions, and those that once believed and loved her were devastated that the world will never have the privilege to love her too. The school held a memorial ceremony that every student attended. Puck stood in front of the assembly with tears making tracks down his face but he didn't care. Each of his tears were for her, his girl, his star, his Rachel. He vowed he would keep his promises to her, and prove to everyone that she was right to put her faith in him.


End file.
